Talent Maps / Raleigh / Civil Engineers

Raleigh Civil Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What civil engineers earn in metro Raleigh, which firms and public owners employ them, where in the region they work, and the highway, airport, transit and water projects competing for them.

Hiring civil engineers in Raleigh?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers civil engineers in the Raleigh-Cary metro area, with Research Triangle Park and Durham as a nearby submarket. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and population data published from 2024 to 2026. Our civil engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Raleigh structural, mechanical and electrical engineer talent maps.

$101,440Median civil engineer pay in metro RaleighBLS, May 2025

$163,710+What the top 10% of Raleigh civil engineers earnBLS, May 2025

36,793People added to metro Raleigh in one year, the 10th fastest growth rate of any US metroCensus Bureau, 2025

$2.5BComplete 540, finishing the outer loop around Raleigh by 2028NCDOT

$1.1BRDU’s new primary runway, due to open in 2029Raleigh-Durham International Airport

$680MWake County school bond on the November 3, 2026 ballotWake County Public School System

Civil engineer salaries in Raleigh

The median civil engineer in metro Raleigh earns $101,440 a year, $710 above the North Carolina median of $100,730 and $600 above the national median of $100,840. Raleigh also pays well at the entry end. Its 10th percentile is $74,170, against $70,760 statewide. The top 10% earn $163,710 or more, and the hourly median is $48.77.

Annual pay percentile	Raleigh metro	North Carolina	United States
10th percentile	$74,170	$70,760	$68,240
25th percentile	$79,840	$79,140	$79,930
Median	$101,440	$100,730	$100,840
75th percentile	$127,280	$125,730	$129,680
90th percentile	$163,710	$160,520	$163,220

Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051), Raleigh-Cary MSA. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Civil engineering technicians, the drafters, inspectors and field techs who support design teams, earn a median of $60,720 in Raleigh, above the North Carolina median of $58,700 but below the national median of $64,950. Pay ranges from $46,450 at the 10th percentile to $84,050 at the 90th.

What the spread means in practice: Raleigh pays about the same as Charlotte, where the median is $102,370, and more than the Durham-Chapel Hill metro next door, where it is $93,940. Several Raleigh-area firms, including WithersRavenel and Stewart, also run Charlotte offices, so experienced engineers often compare offers across the two metros.

Where Raleigh’s civil engineers work

Raleigh-area design firms

Kimley-Horn was founded in Raleigh in 1967 by three transportation engineers and is still headquartered there, at One City Plaza. McAdams, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Raleigh, employs more than 500 people.

WithersRavenel, founded in 1983, is headquartered in Cary and has nine offices in North Carolina. Raleigh-based Stewart, founded in 1994, joined Stratus in January 2026.

National firms on local projects

HNTB is the NC Turnpike Authority’s general engineering consultant on Complete 540. Kimley-Horn and HDR are the City of Raleigh’s consultants on the Wake BRT Western Corridor.

AECOM, CDM Smith and Parsons all posted Raleigh engineering roles in 2026.

Public owners

NCDOT and the NC Turnpike Authority run the region’s highway program. Raleigh Water serves Raleigh plus Garner, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon.

The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, the City of Raleigh’s transit division and the Wake County Public School System also run large capital programs.

Life science and industrial sites

Novo Nordisk is building in Clayton, and Fujifilm and Amgen in Holly Springs. These campuses need site, utility and stormwater engineers.

BE&K Building Group, based in Morrisville, is construction manager on Novo Nordisk’s Clayton plant.

Where the talent sits: Raleigh submarkets

Downtown Raleigh

Design firmsTransit

Kimley-Horn’s headquarters at One City Plaza and WithersRavenel’s office on South Wilmington Street. The Wake BRT Southern Corridor will run from downtown to Garner.

Cary and western Wake

Land developmentTransit

WithersRavenel’s Cary headquarters. The 12-mile Western Corridor BRT will link downtown Raleigh and downtown Cary, with construction expected to start in 2030.

Holly Springs and Apex

Life scienceSite civil

Fujifilm opened the first phase of its $3.2 billion Holly Springs site in September 2025, and Amgen is adding a second plant there. NC Children’s plans to break ground on its 220-acre Apex campus in 2027.

RDU, Research Triangle Park and Durham

AviationResearch

RDU is moving almost five million cubic yards of earth for its new runway. Durham and Chapel Hill form a separate metro, where the civil engineer median is $93,940.

Wake Forest and north Wake

WaterUtilities

Raleigh Water serves Wake Forest and Rolesville, and its capital project list includes a Wake Forest water main replacement and repair program.

Johnston County and southeast Wake

TransportationIndustrial

Johnston County grew 2.8% in 2024-25, among the fastest rates in the state. Complete 540 Phase 2 runs from I-40 to Knightdale, and Novo Nordisk is building in Clayton.

What’s driving demand for civil engineers in Raleigh

Complete 540. NCDOT’s $2.5 billion project extends the Triangle Expressway from Apex to Knightdale and completes the 540 outer loop. Phase 1, about 18 miles, opened on September 25, 2024. Phase 2 adds 10 miles, with 24 bridges and 14 culverts, and is due to finish in 2028.
RDU runway. The $1.1 billion Runway 5L-23R replacement broke ground in October 2023. The 10,639-foot runway is due to open in 2029, and moving it frees room for more Terminal 2 gates. It is part of Transform RDU, a $2.5 billion, 10-year capital program that grew out of the airport’s Vision 2040 master plan.
Wake BRT. The Southern Corridor to Garner has finished 30% design, and its federal Risk and Readiness Review is scheduled for winter 2026. The 12-mile Western Corridor to Cary is in design, with construction expected in 2030 and service in 2032.
Water and wastewater. Raleigh Water presented a 10-year capital plan of about $2.4 billion in March 2026. Its project list includes the Upper West Neuse and West Neuse sewer interceptors, a twin 72-inch interceptor and Crabtree Valley sewer improvements.
Schools. Wake County voters decide on a $680 million school bond and a $149.1 million Wake Tech bond on November 3, 2026. The school bond would fund three new schools and renovations at nine.
Life science sites. Novo Nordisk’s $4.1 billion Clayton plant covers 1.4 million square feet across 10 buildings and finishes in phases from 2027 to 2029. Fujifilm opened the first phase of its $3.2 billion Holly Springs site in September 2025.
Growth. Metro Raleigh reached 1,595,720 people in July 2025, and the City of Raleigh passed 500,000. Wake County added 27,760 residents, the fifth most of any US county.

Civil specialties tied to these projects

Transportation and roadway design for Complete 540 and other NCDOT work.
Bridge engineers for the 24 Phase 2 bridges, including a crossing over the Neuse River.
Aviation civil engineers for the RDU runway and the Lumley Road relocation.
Water and wastewater engineers for the Raleigh Water capital program.
Transit and traffic engineers for the Wake BRT corridors.
Site and land development engineers for life science campuses and growth in western Wake and Johnston County.
Construction engineering and inspection (CEI) staff for NCDOT and airport projects.

The talent pipeline

NC State University. NC State’s civil engineering BS is ABET-accredited. U.S. News ranked its undergraduate civil program No. 19 in the nation and No. 14 among public schools in its 2027 list.
Duke University. Duke’s ABET-accredited civil engineering BSE in Durham includes a structural engineering and mechanics track.
Wake Tech. Wake Tech’s Civil Engineering Technology AAS trains technicians, with transfer paths to civil engineering technology degrees at UNC Charlotte and Old Dominion.
Licensing. Senior roles usually require a North Carolina PE license, issued by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors. Graduates of an ABET-accredited engineering program need four years of progressive experience.

What this means if you’re hiring

Expect Charlotte to compete. Charlotte’s median is $930 higher, and several Raleigh-area firms also have Charlotte offices.
Price senior roles at the 75th percentile. For licensed PEs, plan on $127,280 or higher. Strong candidates may also compare against the national 75th percentile of $129,680.
Highway and airport work runs through 2029. Complete 540 finishes in 2028 and the RDU runway in 2029, which keeps roadway, bridge and aviation engineers busy.
Build from NC State and Duke. They are the two local sources of new ABET-accredited civil graduates, and NC State’s undergraduate civil program ranks in the national top 20.

Need civil engineers in Raleigh?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place civil, transportation, water and site development engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 919.710.8098 or see our Raleigh engineering recruiters page.

Hire civil engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do civil engineers make in Raleigh?

The median civil engineer salary in metro Raleigh is $101,440 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $79,840 and $127,280, and the top 10% earn $163,710 or more.

Do civil engineers earn more in Raleigh or Charlotte?

Charlotte pays slightly more. Its median is $102,370, against $101,440 in Raleigh. Both are well above the Durham-Chapel Hill median of $93,940. See our Charlotte civil engineer talent map.

Who hires civil engineers in Raleigh?

Local design firms such as Kimley-Horn, McAdams, WithersRavenel and Stewart, national firms such as HNTB, HDR, AECOM, CDM Smith and Parsons, and public owners such as NCDOT, the NC Turnpike Authority, Raleigh Water and the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority.

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